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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. last — to go on
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. last — final
  9. bore — to tire
  10. firm — steady
  11. present — there
  12. firm — decided
  13. track — a song
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. firm — a company
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. track — a path
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com